Adjustable gastric banding apparatus have provided an effective and substantially less invasive alternative to gastric bypass surgery and other conventional surgical weight loss procedures. Despite the positive outcomes of invasive weight loss procedures, such as gastric bypass surgery, it has been recognized that sustained weight loss can be achieved through a laparoscopically-placed gastric band, for example, the LAP-BAND® (Allergan. Inc., Irvine, Calif.) gastric band or the LAP-BAND AP® (Allergan. Inc., Irvine, Calif.) gastric band. Generally, gastric bands are placed about the cardia, or upper portion, of a patient's stomach forming a stoma that restricts the food's passage into a lower portion of the stomach. When the stoma is of an appropriate size that is restricted by a gastric band, food held in the upper portion of the stomach provides a feeling of satiety or fullness that discourages overeating. Unlike gastric bypass procedures, gastric band apparatus are reversible and require no permanent modification to the gastrointestinal tract.
Certain types of gastric band systems may operate through a hydraulic force. The size of the band placed around the stomach may depend on the volume of the fluid in the band. An access port may be used to control the amount of fluid in the band. The access port may be located below the surface of an individual's skin. The physician accesses the access port to either increase or decrease the amount of fluid in the band. The physician inserts a long hypodermic needle through the surface of the skin and into the access port. The physician may then deposit or remove fluid from the system to control operation of the gastric band. However, the access port may be under many layers of fat, and may be difficult to locate. If the physician cannot properly locate the access port, the physician may improperly insert the hypodermic needle into the individual's body.
If the physician improperly inserts the hypodermic needle into the individual's body, the hypodermic needle may puncture the tube leading from the access port to the gastric band. The tube contains fluid that may leak causing the gastric band to eventually fail. The entire gastric band system may then need to be removed from the individual's body, or the physician may need to perform an operation to mend the punctured tube.